Pivoted hand tool for bending heavy wires



Feb. 1953 A. F. SHALLCROSS PIVOTED HAND TOOL FOR BENDING HEAVY WIRES Filed Aug. 18, 1949 Patented Feb. 24, 1953 PIVOTED HAND 'rootron BENDING HEAVY WIRES i Arthur F. Shallcross, Rockford, Ill. Applicationdugust 1s, 1949, Serial o. 111,003

1 2 in en i n rela si a t l rm e relatively large electrical conductors or wires;

Heretofore no satisfactory-tool has been-com mercially available for bending relatively heavy electrical conductors.---The installer or mavy conductors heretofore hashad to "use his ingenu ity'fin bending theconductor to make'connec tions ina control box or connection box. One of the most commonmethods of bending heavy conductors heretofore has been to utilizean adjustablejaw wrench or monkey" wrench. The conductor is disposed between the jaws of the wrench and then a pressure is applied to the handle to bend the wire about one of the jaws to'the" desired configuration. This method of bending conductors has not proven satisfactory,

particularly where insulated" electrical conduc 1 tors are involved. The sharp edges on the jaws of the wrench cut the insulation during the bending operationor damage the insulation so badly that its insulating properties are impaired,

and considerable skill is required on the part of the" operator to produce the required curvatures.

An object of this invention is the provision conductors wherein there is a minimum of damage to the insulation when the conductor is bent to a desired configuration.

Another object of the invention is the provision ot a tool of the above character "that is Otherobjects' and advantages of the, invene tion will become apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conhection'with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1.is a side elevational view of the .tool

for bendingrelatively large electrical conductors andembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 Fi 1;

Figs. are show the manner in which theivtool is used for bending a conductor to have an end portion oi. the conductor offset with respect to another portion of the conductor.

Referring now to. thefdrawings, the tool is intended primarily for bending heavy electrical conductors-such as shown at H havingan outer layer of insulation l2. As best seen in Figs. 1

is a] plan view of the tool shown in,

3 Claims. (Cl. 81-

of a tool for bending relatively heavy insulated 1 and 2, the tool. includes an elongated handle 13. 11; one endthe 'handleis formed with an.

enlarged portion l4 shaped to provide a convenient handgrip for gripping the tool. Wheredesired, the enlarged portion l4 may be knurled. A- cross arm 16 is rigidly attached to the op positeend of the handle! with its end edges l1 and 18 disposed on opposite sides of the handlel3. A side of the cross arm, facing away from the handle [3, has a composite surface formedthereon having a generally concave configuration transversely of the cross arm (see Fig. 2) and a convex configuration lengthwise of the cross arm (see dotted line in Figure 1) definingan elongated fixed jaw 19 shaped to receive a portion of the conductor. A J-shaped memberZI is mounted on the handle l3 to have its curved portion in opposed relation to the stationary jaw 19 to define a clamping jaw 22 for engaging the side of the conductor opposite to thatengaged'by the stationary jaw. The width of the member 2i as best seen in Figure 1 is relatively narrow so that the clamping jaw 22 is relatively narrow as compared to the fixed jaw 19. Preferably the curved portionof the J-shaped member 2i is deformed to I provide curved edge portions as shown in Figure 1. The stem23 of the J-shaped mem-' ber 2| is formed with an elongated slot 24 which is shaped to receive a threaded projection 26 extending outwardlyfrom a shoulder 2T formed on" the handle l3 intermediate theends thereof. 'I'heslot 24 and projection 26 provide a construction wherein the clamping jaw 22 may be moved relative to the fixed jaw I9 in a di-L force exerted by wing nut 23 is insufficient to preventrelative pivotal movement of the mem bers I3 and 2| about the axis formed by threaded projection 26 during use of the. tool to bend wire or the like, as will presently appear.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the manner in which the tool is employed in bending a heavy electrical insulated conductor. As shown in Fig. 3, the conductor ll projects inwardly from one side of a control box 3|. or the like, a portion only which n is? shown. For purposes of illustration it is ass nned that theend ofthe con'ductor in the box.

:3! must be bent so that the extreme end is offset with respect to the portion of the conductor disposed in a conduit 32 leading to the box 3|. To elfect bending, the conductor is disposed between the clamping jaw and the fixed jaw, the clamping jaw 22 is adjusted so that the conductor is held snugly between the high points of the respective convex surfaces of the jaws, with the clamping jaw disposed centrally of the fixed jaw to position the respective high points of. the convex jaws in directly oppose-d relation, and the wing nut is tightened to normally retain the parts in this position. Thereupon -a pulling pressure is applied to the handle so that the hand of the operator is moved through 90 or from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. As a result of this movement the conductor is caused to bend about a side edge I! of the fixed jaw which in effect defines a fulcrum point for the tool. Movement of handle [3 to cause jaw edge I! to bear against the conductor moves the high point of the convex fixed jaw l9 away from the conductor so that the conductor is not so snugly gripped by the jaws. The force exerted in bending the conductor is such that the J- shaped member 2| rotates about the threaded projection 26 as an axis so that the clamping jaw .22 slides along the conductor. Then the upward force on handle I3 is released and the handle returns toward a position to align the fixed jaw centrally with the clamping jaw in the new position of the latter. Thus, a single actuation and release of the tool durin a bending operation has resulted in movement of the tool to a new position along the conductor. The successive position-s of the side edge 33 of the clamping jaw after successive actuations of the tool during a bending operation are shown by the arrows in Fig. 4. Because of the relative movement of the jaws with respect to the conductor, the insulation l2 at any one point on the conductor is prevented from being stressed to such an extent that the insulationis damaged. At the conclusion of this bending operation the operator loosens the wingnut 28 to loosen the jaw 22 so that the tool can be moved farther out on the end of the conductor ll. When an edge of the end l-8 of'the fixed jaw engages the conductor at a desired point, depending on the position at which the second bend is tobe' made, the clamping jaw 22 is centered. with the fixed jaw I9 as beforeand is adjusted so that the conductor is held between the respective jaws. The wing nut 28 is again tightened. A force is applied to the handle 13 to cause the extreme free end of the cable to bend around the edge l8 of the end of the fixed jaw, the point of engagement of the edge IS with the conductor defining the fulcrum point about which the tool moves. The convex curvature of the jaw I9 is such that the insulation is prevented from being damaged during this bending operation. The clamping jaw 22 may move relative to the fixed jaw so that at the conclusion of the second bending operation it is Y 'for use with different sizes of cables. Where desired the handle and cross arm It may be formed as a single casting. In its operation the tool is positive in its action and provides a tool for bending heavy conductors in small spaces. Either end of the fixed jaw or either side of the clamping jaw may be used as a point at which the conductor may be bent. Consequently the tool may be readily used in very small spaces to effect the desired bend of electrical conductors.

I claim:

1. A wire bender comprising an elongated handle, a shoulder formed on said handle intermediate the ends of the latter, a threaded projection extending outwardly from said shoulder, an elongated cross arm rigidly attached to one end of said handle and having portions extending outwardly from opposite sides of the handle,

said cross arm having a continuous face on the side away from the handle having a concave surface in a transverse direction and a continuous convex surface in a longitudinal direction to define an elongated fixed jaw for'engagmg; one side of a conductor, a J-shaped member having. a short continuous convexly curved portion overlying the fixed jaw in opposed relation therewith intermediate the ends thereof and engageable with the opposite side of a conductor and having its ends curving away from the convex surface of. the fixed jaw, said opposed convex jaw surfaces defining a passageway for receiving the conductor which is narrowest at opposed points on said surfaces intermediate the ends thereof, said J-shaped member having a stem in side by side relation with the handle and said shoulder to support the clamping jaw in the above-described position, said stem having a slot shaped to receive said threaded projection, and adjustable abutment means engageable with the stem tosecure it against the shoulder.

2. An implement for bending elongated articles comprising a handle, a fixed jaw rigid with the handle and having an elongated face extending transversely of the handle and recessed to engage a portion of the elongatedarticle to be bent, saidelongated face on the fixed jaw being formed with a continuous convex lengthwise surface, and a narrow clamping jaw in opposed relation to the fixed jaw, said clamping jaw defining a short continuous convex lengthwise surface inspaced opposed relation to the convex fixed jaw surface and recessed to engage an opposite portion of the elongated article, said opposed jaw faces defining a passageway for receiving the elongated article which is narrowest at a portion of the convex face on the fixed 'jaw intermediate the ends thereof, said clamping jaw being pivotally supported from said handle and being movable about itspivotal axis to move relative to the elongated article being bent in response to application of a force to the handle urging one end of the convex face on the fixed jaw into engagement with the elongated article for bending the latter and urging the portion of the convex face on the fixed jaw at said narrov-Jest portion of the passageway between the fixed and clamping jaws away from engagement with the elongated article to permit sliding of the clamping jaw along the elongated article.

3. A wire bender comprising a handle, a fixed jaw rigid with said handle and having an elongated face shaped to engage a conductor", said face having a continuous convex configuration along its length, a narrow clamping jaw in 0pposed relation to said fixed jaw and formed with a short continuous convex face in spaced opposed relation to said convex, face of the fixed jaw intermediate the ends thereof having its opposite end portions curve away from the convex face of the fixed jaw, said opposed jaw faces defining a passageway for receiving the wire to be bent which is narrowest at opposed points on the op- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Malo et a1. Oct. 14, 1913 Number Number Number 15 233,231

Name Date Ross Nov. 24, 1914 Murdick et a1. Jan. 18, 1916 Youngs Jan. 1, 1918 Parnell May 28, 1916 McLain Mar. 16, 1926 Newland Nov. 6, 1928 Grimes Sept. 27, 1932 Mullan May 28, 1935 Parker 1 Aug. 16, 1938 Beehler et a1. Sept. 5, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Switzerland Oct. "2, 1944 

